Snap-hook.



H. E. COBLE SNAP HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 190B.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

lckra jlo z ms NLRRIS PETERS 50., WASHINGTON. n. c.

HARVEY E. COBLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SNAP-HOOK.

Application filed. December 16, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY E. GoBLn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snap-Hooks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates especially to a snap hook for harness use and thelike although it may be used for any other purpose to which articles ofits general nature may be put.

The invention consists mainly in the provision of a simple mechanism bymeans of which the snap is held in either its open or closed posit-ion.By a reversible arrangement of the actuating spring in the interior ofthe hook the mechanism is made to operate the snap in two differentmanners. In the first position it is arranged that the snap be eitherclosed or open and that it will stay in either of these positionswithout any manual aid. In the second position of the spring it isarranged that the snap be normally closed and that it can be openedmanually, returning to its closed position when the manual operation isreleased.

The parts of the hook are so arranged that it is only necessary toremove the spring and replace it to change the operation of the snap.The combination of parts is essentially the same in the one arrangementof the parts as in the other so that the two arrangements become veryclosely allied modified forms of each other. This fact will appear moreclearly from the following description, and the accompanying drawings,in which.

Figure l is an elevation of the hook. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the same. Fig. t is a similar sectionalview of the modified form.

In the drawings 5 designates the body of the hook which is preferablyformed of sheet metal bent up in the form illustrated or may be made ofa casting as is desired. It is made in a hollow configuration asillustrated with a loop 6 on its end for securing to a strap or othermember. An opening 7 is formed in the body transversely thereof and thisopening leaves a hook 8 on the end of the body similar to the usualhook. Mounted inside the body is a snap member 9 which is shown in itsclosed position. In this position its end 10 rests against the end ofhook 8 and its curved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Serial No. 467,749.

portion 11 follows the contour of opening 7. The snap member is pivotedat 12 to the body and the lower portion 13 of a flat spring is adaptedto press it in the direction indicated by the arrow, the spring beingsecured at 14 to the body. Pivoted to the body at 15 is a detent 16whose forward end rests against shoulder 17 on the snap member and thusholds the member in the position shown. The rear end of the detent issupported by the upper portion 18 of the flat spring.

In the operation of the hook in the arrangement described it is onlynecessary to depress the rear end of detent 16 to open the hook. 011 thedepression of the same the snap member will move rearwardly under theinfluence of spring 13, its curved portion moving up into opening 7 inthe body. When the hook is snapped over any article the curved portion11 of the snap member comes into contact with it and the member isthereby pulled back to its original position. then this is done thedetent springs in behind the snap member and it is again locked inplace. In this arrangement, then, it will be seen that the snap willremain in either of its positions after having been so placed. As it isnormally open when there is nothing in it, the hook is always inposition to be hooked over any article.

In Fig. 4c the second arrangement of the hook is shown. It is manifestthat the only change from the arrangement shown in the first figures isthat the spring has been inverted, its long portion now being uppermostand bearing upwardly against both the detent and the snap member. As thespring bears upwardly the normal position of the snap member isnecessarily a closed one, and the normal position of the detent is suchas to lock the snap member in this position. From the relativearrangement of the parts it is only necessary to bear downwardly on therear end of the detent to open the hook by moving the snap member back,the downward movement of the detent removing its end from engagementwith shoulder 17 on the snap member and exerting a downward pressure onthe spring so that the snap mem ber is rotated in the direction oppositeto that indicated by the arrow. "With this arrangement of the parts thehook is always closed and locked in that position, it being onlypossible to open it by depressing the detent.

to the hook to hold the snap member in place. The configuration of theparts has been adapted especially to the operation of this combination,but it is possible to remodel the parts to suit a hook of any size orconfiguration Without sacrificing the utility of the invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim is l. A snap hook,comprising a body member in hook form, a snap member pivoted to the bodymember and normally adapted to close the hook gap, an extension on thesnap member normally lying at the back of the hook gap, a detent pivotedto the body member and engaging With the snap member to hold it in itsnormal position, and a flat spring having two ends adapted one tonormally engage the detent and the other the snap member to move them inopposite directions, the spring being reversible in position so that oneend engages both the detent and snap member to move both in the samedirection.

2. A snap hook, comprising a body member in hook form, a snap memberpivoted to the body member and normally adapted to close the hook gap,an extension on the snap member normally lying at the back of thehook'gap, a detent pivoted to the body member and engaging with the snapmember to hold it in its normal position, and a fiat spring secured tothe body member and having two ends, one end normally engaging with thedetent to hold it against the snap member and the other end engagingwith the snap member to move it from its normal position, the springbeing reversible so that one end alone engages with both the snap memberand the detent and moves the snap member into its normal position andthe detent against the snap member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 9th day of December 1900.

HARVEY E. GOBLE. lVitnesses:

JAMES T. B RKELEW, ELwooD H. BARKELEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

